If there is a second building in the world befitting the name "Taj Mahal", then it is surely the Taj Mahal Palace located in Colaba, Mumbai. It was on this day back in 1903 that the hotel opened its door to visitors from all over the world.
The hotel is well-known for its scenic location close to the Gateway of India along with its distinct front facade. It is also the first of the Taj Group of Hotels which was incorporated by Jamsetji Tata, who was the founder of the Tata Group. The hotel has 560 rooms and 44 suites. It was then built at a cost of £250,000. Wondering what it would be worth in rupees? Only a sum of Rs 1284 crore. Truly, a hotel that's big in every way imaginable. The hotel came into the world's view when it came under attack from Pakistani terrorists on November 26 in 2008. It took a lot of time to restore it but was finally opened to the public again on Independence Day in 2010. In 2017, the building became the first in the country to secure an image trademark for its architectural design.
December 16 is also the day when Don Bradman, arguably the greatest batsman to ever play cricket, made his first class debut in 1927 aged 19. He only made his way into the New South Wales side when another youngster, Archie Jackson was dropped due to poor form and an injury. Needless to say, the "Don" grabbed the opportunity with both hands and scored a fine innings of 118. He would soon make his test debut for Australia and retire with the now famous 99.94 batting average in test cricket.
The day is also celebrated as Victory Day in Bangladesh. In 1971, the Pakistani forces surrendered to the Bangladeshi Army to mark an end to the 9 month-long Liberation War. The day is marked as Vijay Diwas in India to commemorate the sacrifice of Indian soldiers during the war.
